Danny aims to turn it around at Newbury

Twenty-six year old 'owes something to the club'

DANNY Langford returned to Newbury from Binfield as a player, promptly to be handed the managerial reins.

Langford left Newbury for the Hellenic Leaguers in the summer, but with the traveling proving difficult for the new father, was allowed to return to Newbury to play and help out manager Mark Foad.

But now he finds himself in charge of a club that could not raise a team for a recent county cup tie at Kintbury Rangers.

“That was an embarrassment,” said, “Mark asked me to help run it with him and I didn’t really want to do that at 26 but said I would help out.

“But then Mark, who also runs a youth team on Saturday, said that he just couldn’t commit. I had a meeting with the club and they said if I don’t take it looks like they’re not going to get a side.

“I’m only 26 and don’t really want to be a manager yet,” he added, “but the club’s done enough for me. ‘Keggy’ Moss picked me up when I was 16 and I felt I owed him something, so we’ll give it to the end of the season and then go from there.”

Since then, Langford has been caught up in a whirl of new signings, with Grant Kemp coming with him from Binfield and Carl Self, Nathan Rivers, Charlie Hill, Rocky Rowbottom and Danny Seaward likely to be followed by a couple of others.

And the first result was to come back from two down to draw 2-2 at then Thames Valley Premier League leaders Woodcote Stoke Row on Saturday, when Seaward scored twice and Self missed a penalty.

“I was well impressed,” said the new player-manager, “and especially with the way they bust a gut for me. That was nice to see.

My aim is to manage at a halfway decent level one day, so I want to do a decent job here if I can. The league is gone, but I’d like to get them to a cup final and maybe at the Madejski if we can beat Frilsham and Yattendon on Saturday.”